Damasta: Hillside Setting and Local History

Damasta combines a distinctive hillside setting with ecclesiastical heritage, folk culture and a place of remembrance. These themes give you concrete points of reference to help decide whether landscape or cultural history should shape your stay more strongly.

Location on Koiti Hill

Damasta lies in an amphitheatre-like setting on the northern slopes of Koiti Hill, at an altitude of 415 metres in the Psiloritis mountain range. These details place the village both on a named hill and within a larger mountain region. “Amphitheatre-like” describes its characteristic hillside setting; the altitude provides a specific point of reference. If you are planning your trip around the landscape and location, this is a clear indication: the setting is defined by mountains and hillsides. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether this kind of environment suits the type of trip you want.

Church and Folk Culture

The Church of Agios Georgios and Agios Dimitrios is Damasta’s patronal church and is one of the village’s oldest churches. Its exact construction date is unknown. The iconostasis dates from 1795; the church was renovated in 1894. These two dates refer to different details and do not indicate when the entire building was constructed. For travellers interested in churches and historic interiors, the church is a clear local highlight.

Below the church is a small folklore museum established by the Damasta cultural association and considered worth visiting. The church and museum offer two distinct cultural perspectives: ecclesiastical heritage and its historic furnishings, and folk culture. If you would like to include the museum in your plans, please check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Remembrance and Orientation

East of Damasta, on a hilltop, stands the Keratidi Memorial, with the graves of those executed by German troops. Thirty cypress trees were planted at the site of the executions, one for each person killed. Each tree thus represents a person. This focus is clearly different from that of the church: here, the emphasis is on remembering those who were killed, not on architectural history or religious furnishings.

Another topographical feature is the Chondro-Charaki shaft on the summit of Chondro Charaki. It lies 500 metres south of Damasta cemetery, which is the specific reference point for this distance.

Damasta is 27 km from Heraklion. This distance gives you a broader point of reference; by contrast, the 500 metres for the Chondro-Charaki shaft are measured from the cemetery. The first figure places Damasta in relation to Heraklion, while the second locates a single topographical feature in the immediate area. When looking for a holiday apartment, consider whether the mountain setting, the church and folk culture, or remembrance at Keratidi is the deciding factor in your choice. This lets you use the kind of trip you want as a guide to choosing a location.

Discover more destinations: Kastelli, Vori, Rodia, Zaros, Mesi, Listaros, Agios Dimitrios, Gournes.

For the broader travel overview: Heraklion.